“I was always Missy, never Melissa. I went to college, and I thought it was so much more interesting to go by a different name, and then it just kind of stuck.”

American actress, comedian, and producer

Melissa Ann McCarthy is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She has worked across film and television, and is known for a career that has brought major awards attention and wide public recognition. McCarthy has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. She was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016, and has appeared several times on annual lists of the highest-paid actresses. In 2020, The New York Times placed her at number 22 on its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.